1. Field of the Invention
This present invention relates generally to agricultural product applicator systems, and more particularly to a multi-variable dispensing rate agricultural products (crop inputs) applicator system for controlling crop input dispensing points across a spreader boom, planter, seeder, and various other crop input applicator devices substantially transverse to their direction of travel in response to a computerized control system which stores a digital soil map of the location of various soil types, topographical features, and/or characteristics such as nutrient levels, soil compaction, drainage or any other qualifying crop production characteristic.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various agricultural product applicator systems and associated methods of control have been suggested at one time or another, but in each instance, these systems leave something to be desired. For example, there is a need for a variable rate applicator system that ensures agricultural products dispensed from a boom, planter, seeder, or other crop input applicator device are accurately and precisely dispensed horizontal and substantially transverse to their direction of travel whenever it is desirable to deliver agricultural products (crop inputs) individually from multiple dispensing points attached to the applicator machine as the machine traverses a desired product delivery area. Significant changes in soil conditions, topographical features, and/or characteristics such as nutrient levels, soil compaction, drainage or other qualifying crop production characteristics, have been found by the present inventor, to occur even within a distance of a few feet. For example, it now known that fertility levels are a lot like surface topography. Although the fertility levels cannot be seen, they still exist. Therefore, the importance of tighter control of crop input application has and will continue to become more relevant and necessary. The agricultural industry has not yet recognized the necessity or even the existence of the aforesaid horizontal variation problem. In a few research situations, rapid changes in soil conditions have been noticed, but little or no consideration has been given to resolution of the problems related to accomplish accurate dispensing of crop inputs horizontal and substantially transverse to their direction of travel. This problem has been totally ignored by the agricultural industry because of the general consensus that even if such a problem exists, resolution of such a problem is virtually impossible. Therefore, in general, products (crop inputs) have been controlled variably in the linear mode of travel, i.e. direction of planting or application. Agricultural product applicator systems which utilize an estimated or average quantity and prescription value common to all dispensing points on a product applicator machine have been developed. Generally, these systems are limited to use of a cursor on a display device to locate reference points in front of a moving machine and then dispense crop inputs at the field reference points at a single predetermined variable delivery rate which is common to all dispensing points attached to the applicator machine. The point at which product flow is initiated is generally determined from factors including ground speed of the applicator machine and the total amount of time it takes from the moment of product flow initiated from onboard the applicator machine and the moment product is dispensed from either a wet boom, dry boom, or other type of dispensing device such as seeders and planters, for example.
A common system known to those skilled in the art of agricultural products (crop inputs) application includes an agricultural machine having a single bin containing planting products such as seeds or crop inputs application products such as herbicides, insecticides, fertilizer, anhydrous ammonia, various chemicals, or other crop input products. Some of these systems are ground-speed coordinated and start metering product from the product bin when the applicator machine reaches an anticipated field reference point, generally dispensing crop inputs in the linear mode of travel, i.e. direction of planting or application. These known machines presently utilize a single predetermined composite average or estimated variable dispensing rate which is common to all dispensing points across the spreader boom, planter, seeder, or other applicator device attached to the machine.
Still needed, but not available with variable rate product applicator machines and associated control systems presently known in the art is an agricultural products (crop input) applicator system which allows a variable rate product applicator machine to simultaneously dispense a plurality of planting products or crop inputs at a combination of different variable dispensing rates horizontally, from side to side, across a spreader boom, planter, seeder, or other applicator device as the applicator machine crosses anticipated reference points in a field as they occur. Such a need exists for variable rate product applicator machines having multiple product storage devices such as bins mounted upon the machine or having multiple conveyor and/or product flow devices or having multiple product dispensing point devices, all of which are responsive to a computerized control system which holds a digital soil map of the location of various soil types, topographical features, and/or characteristics such as nutrient levels, soil compaction, drainage or any other qualifying crop production characteristic. It can readily be appreciated that use of a single composite estimated or average variable machine delivery rate will be inadequate to provide for accurate and precise application of agricultural products where more than a single product, storage device, e.g. bin, or material transport system, e.g. conveyor, is used with a machine having multiple crop input dispensing points attached thereto, and where soil types and/or characteristics change rapidly in a direction transverse to the direction of machine travel. It will also be appreciated that use of a single composite average or estimated variable dispensing rate will be inadequate to provide for accurate and precise application of agricultural products (crop inputs) when variable rate applications are being made in response to premeasured field site conditions. Known systems generally under apply some crop inputs on one side while other crop inputs are over applied at the other side of the applicator, planter, or seeder device, resulting in misapplication of crop inputs as the machine crosses the field reference points. A better solution is to provide an applicator machine with a multi-variable rate dispensing system which is capable of taking into consideration the type of crop inputs, premeasured soil characteristics, desired prescriptions and quantities of crop inputs, nature and location of the individual machine crop input dispensing points employed, e.g. wet booms, dry booms, nozzles, conveyors, spinners, planters, drop tubes, injectors, etc., as well as the ground speed and direction of the machine. Such a multi-variable rate dispensing system must be capable of evaluating each field reference point which is unique to each applicator machine dispensing point in order to determine a unique crop input variable dispensing rate requirement for each agricultural products (crop inputs) dispensed from each dispensing point on the applicator machine. Using such a system will then prevent misapplication of the agricultural products (crop inputs) to a desired target area traversed by the variable rate applicator machine. Unless the premeasured crop input prescription and quantity requirement differences between individual field site locations are considered and coordinated, accurate and precise applications are impossible. The present invention provides a solution for the management and control of the aforesaid differences.
Modern applicator machine control systems typically have a host controller located within the operator cab of the machine, including a processor with associated input and output devices. The host is generally directly linked to at least one other controller which may also be located within the cab, and which is responsible for all communication to devices on the machine, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,773, issued Dec. 23, 1986, to Ortlip, entitled Method and Apparatus for Spreading Fertilizer, and U.S. Pat. No. Re 35, 100, issued Nov. 28, 1995, to Monson et al., entitled Variable Rate Application System, both assigned to Ag-Chem Equipment Company, Inc. of Minnetonka, Minn., the Assignee of the present invention. The system disclosed in the '100 reissue patent comprises a controller accessing a soil map indicating a soil characteristic for each portion of the field. Field locations and status maps indicating current crop input level at various locations in a field to be treated are monitored by a control system. A crop input map is updated after a dispensing pass to provide a real-time record. Position locators for the machine in the field may include "Dead Reckoning", GPS, or LORAN systems, for example.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,815 discloses yet another closed-loop variable rate applicator system. The system operates by determining a soil prescription in near real-time and dispenses crop inputs to the soil scene as a fraction of the soil prescription. The '815 patent is also assigned to Ag-Chem Equipment Company, Inc. and is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Another system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,924, issued Sep. 26, 1995, to Monson et al., entitled Mobile Control System Responsive To Land Area Maps. This system expands on earlier known applicator machine controls systems including those heretofore assigned to Ag-Chem Equipment Company, Inc., by incorporating a network scheme which links a host controller positioned within the operator cab to multiple controllers located at various points on the machine external to the operator cab. All of the above patents are assigned to the Assignee of the present invention and are incorporated by reference in their entirety herein. The control systems referenced herein above describe systems which, when properly adapted with the inventive algorithmic software and associated control devices, may be used to practice the present invention.